Unlimited palette of sounds from user created WAV files or commercially available. Blue to flashing red to flashing blue, each one indicate a di erent mode.
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Importing a SoundNow that you have an Event setup to catch the incoming shotgun GameCall, you need to bring in the sound that you want to hear when that eventis received. Wwise can create sounds in a variety of ways, includingsynthesizing sounds from scratch; however, the most common way to generatea sound is to use a recorded audio file.
There’s no need to go out andrecord a shotgun as an audio file of a shotgun blast is already provided.You simply need to bring it into your project.Sounds are usually managed within the Audio tab of the ProjectExplorer which is found in the Designer layout.In the Project Explorer view, select the Audio tab.The Audio tab of the Designer layout is where you’ll spend mostof your time when designing your game’s soundscape. The audio tab hasthree different hierarchies that each provide unique objects toaccomplish various tasks related to triggering or manipulating howaudio works in Wwise.With the exception of music, you’ll keep your sounds within aWork Unit within the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy.There are many different objects that can be created within theActor-Mixer Hierarchy that you’ll explore over the next severallessons; however, if you simply want to play a given audio file, thisis accomplished via the Sound SFX (Sound Effects) object. The red lettering represents that there isn’t an audio fileassociated with this SFX object. You’ll need to add the audio file injust a moment, but before you go any further it’s important tounderstand that an SFX object does not directly represent an audiofile. It instead represents the channel that the audio file will playthrough. You can equate it to the idea of a channel on a digital audioworkstation.
The channel has various controls that manipulate theactual audio files that are stored on the audio track that feedsthrough the channel. Once you understand this, you’re ready to add theaudio file to the Sound SFX object.Right-clicking an object provides many different options relatedto what can be done with that object, including importing an audiofile to a Sound SFX object.Right-click the ShotgunBlast SFX Object and choose Import Audio Files. A dialog box opens prompting you to select the file you want toimport.The file you’re going to import is a WAV file. Wave files arerelatively large and you may well think that you’d first want toconvert the file to something like an MP3 file or even reduce itssample rate or bit depth to reduce the amount of information you arebringing in. This is not the case.
Actually, you want to import yourbest quality original into Wwise as a Wave file and don’t worry aboutthe size at this time. The beauty of Wwise is that you can laterdecide how you want to optimize the file’s size before integratinginto the game. In fact, Wwise has extensive features related to thiswhich you’ll explore in Lesson 7. Think of it like a photographerwanting to always keep his 25 megapixel original and only worry abouthow to crop or compress the image based upon the need at the time heneeds to send someone the image.Navigate to Wwise-101/Lesson 1/Audio files for Lesson1/, choose the ShotgunBlast file and click Open.The Audio File Importer opens confirming which audio file youwant to import to the SFX object. As you work, you may notice some Sound SFX objects names areblue while others are white.
The color communicates if theassociated file has been optimized through a conversion processwhich usually happens when you generate a SoundBank which you’ll dolater in this lesson. White object names indicate that theconversion has already taken place, where blue objects have yet tobe converted. At this point, don’t worry if you see the color changefrom blue to white. You’ll learn more about optimization and theconversion process in Lesson 7.Now it’s time to test your sound and make sure it’s playingthrough your system.Click the ShotgunBlast Sound SFX object to make sure it’sselected.
In which we go over the different audio file formats at your disposal — and which is best for video editing.
When using various audio files in your video edits, such as music tracks and sound effects, does the audio file type really make a difference? (Spoiler: yes, it does.) But the real question is why are there so many different audio file formats? And what is the purpose for each one? So let’s break that down, and in so doing, determine the best audio file formats to use when editing videos.
Audio File Formats
To help us get a grasp on the different audio file formats, I have categorized them into three main groups. Each group has a list of audio file formats most commonly associated with it. The audio groups are as follows:
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Let’s run through the details of each format, as well as their pros and cons.
Uncompressed
You can think of uncompressed audio formats like the equivalent of RAW video formats. Essentially, you’re getting the audio data with no compression. This allows for a wide range of audio bit depth and sample rates. This results in better audio quality and covers the full frequency that the human ear can hear. (The original audio recording bit depth and sample rate play a big part in this equation as well. Compressed audio files converted into uncompressed audio formats don’t magically regain any audio quality.)
Uncompressed audio files are typically easier to work with in audio and video editors because they require less processing to play back. And since uncompressed files contain more data, you’ll get better results when you’re manipulating the audio in post with various effects.
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The most common drawback for uncompressed audio files is their size, which is usually between 25-40 MB for an average song. These sizes aren’t a major issue today with transfer services like Dropbox and Google Drive (compared to 10+ years ago). However, in most cases, the uncompressed audio files are still too large to easily send as an email attachment. Also, some portable music players or devices may not support uncompressed audio formats. (Generally, most modern ones do, though.)
Compressed Lossless
The name “compressed lossless” may sound like a contradiction. However, the compression isn’t occurring in a way that degrades the audio itself. I like to explain it more like “space-efficient lossless.” Think of it almost like zip-compressing a music file, then unzipping it during playback. This results in a smaller file size, but the audio quality is still lossless, enabling full frequency playback. Sounds like the best of both worlds, right?
Compressed lossless audio files can be anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 the size of uncompressed audio files — or even smaller.
The drawbacks for compressed lossless files are that they are the least supported (compared to uncompressed and compressed lossy.) They also require a little more computing power to play back, because they need decoding.
Compressed Lossy
Compressed lossy audio formats are likely the most common audio files you use when listening to music. (Examples include .MP3 and .AAC.) This is because compressed lossy audio files have the most support among portable devices, and they have the smallest file sizes (meaning you can store more songs in less space.)
In some cases, compressed lossy audio files can take up 1/10 the space as the same file that is uncompressed. (.MP3 compared to .WAV for example.) Compressed lossy audio files are ideal for streaming online.
However, all that compression comes at a cost. The drawback is that the audio has a limited frequency range and noticeable audio artifacts when compared to a lossless format. Another drawback is that you have less range in post when it comes to editing and audio manipulation. Plus, each time you edit a compressed lossless file and re-export it, you lose more and more quality. Compressed lossy audio files are also not ideal for music loops because the codec adds short blank spaces at the beginning and end of the file.
Best audio format for video editing
When it comes to audio formats to use when editing, you have to use what you have available. In an ideal world, use uncompressed formats such as .WAV or .AIFF whenever possible. They’ll give you the most latitude in post, and they have the most support. Plus, the audio on your video is going to get compressed during the final video export. So it helps to start with the best possible audio.
In some cases, .MP3s may be all you need, and they are easy to transfer quickly.
Looking for more articles on working with audio? Check these out.
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February 2023
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